Trudeau’s idea of an affordable year for Canadians, or a distraction from coming calamities

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

Justin Trudeau has decided to dole out some much-needed funds to Canadians in their final hour of need. Citing hard times as the real reason, so with that said, let’s get right into the quote first, then the money.

“From helping families pay rent to make sure people can afford the dental care they need and putting hundreds of dollars back in the pockets of Canadians, this suite of new measures will support families who need it the most when they need it the most. As we head into a new Parliamentary sitting, we are working hard to continue delivering results for the middle class and those working hard to join it.” Justin Trudeau

First up is the doubling of the Goods and Services Tax Credit for six months and this will provide $2.5 billion in relief for Canadians who need it most.

This means delivering support to roughly 11 million individuals and families who receive the tax credit, including about half of Canadian families with children, and more than half of Canadian seniors.

Single Canadians without children would receive up to an extra $234 and couples with two children would receive up to an extra $467 in their pockets this year. Seniors would receive an extra $225 on average, and there is more.

For children under 12, Canada Dental Benefit would deliver over $900 million to support their dental care. According to Trudeau’s plan, direct payments adding up to $1,300 per child over the next two years (up to $650 per year), would be provided for dental care services.

This first stage of the government’s plan will deliver dental coverage for families with income under $90,000, and the list goes on.

There will also be a one-time payment of $500 for Canada Housing Benefits recipients, which will go to the 1.8 million Canadian renters who are struggling with the cost of renting.

Trudeau’s government says that this funding more than doubles their Budget 2022 commitment and reaches twice as many Canadians as initially promised. This new one-time federal benefit will be in addition to the Canada Housing Benefit currently co-funded and delivered by provinces and territories.

However, the federal benefit will be available only to applicants with an adjusted net income below $35,000 for families, or below $20,000 for individuals, who pay at least 30% of their income on rent.

The money list just keeps growing. Here are some more perks to ease the pain of Canadians according to Trudeau’s government.

Expanding the Canada Workers Benefit at $1.7 billion in new support for an estimated three million low-income workers this year, this means a couple receiving up to $2,400 more this year, and single workers receiving up to $1,200 more. Most recipients first received this additional support through their 2021 tax refund.

Now for those with small children, here is a little something for you. This package is cutting regulated childcare fees in half on average for families in Canada by the end of this year. A couple in Ontario with an income of $45,000 and a child in daycare could receive about an additional $7,800 above existing benefits this fiscal year.

Seniors and students, here is a breakdown of your package in a nutshell.

A 10%  increase to the Old Age Security (OAS) pension for seniors 75 years and older, which began in July 2022, will provide more than $800 in new support to full pensioners over the first year, and increase benefits for more than three million seniors. A senior with a disability in Quebec could benefit from over $2,500 more this year than he or she received last year.

The government will be providing more support for students by doubling the Canada Student Grant amount until July 2023, and by waiving interest on Canada Student Loans through to March 2023.

The report also contains a prediction of Canada’s financial future.

The International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development predict that the Canadian economy will see the strongest growth in the G7 this year and next.

This is the opening statement in this release; please observe the wording.

“Canadians are feeling the rising cost of living, particularly through higher food prices and rent. While inflation is a global challenge – caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine – we are helping families weather its impacts by working to put more money back in the pockets of the middle class and those working hard to join it this year.”

As I go over this opening paragraph, I could not help but notice that nothing here mentioned sentences like “The Plandemic” has created an opportunity for a “Great Reset,” which is where all these hard times originated from, or is it just me noticing this? I hope not.